Saturday Feb 7 rides

[7rider]

It was sunny and mild in the metro-DC area today.
DH and I decided to not do the N2, and just cruise down through Rock Creek Park and take in the sights. An eventful ride:
1. Ran into our friend, John. Stopped to chat with John (who was returning from the N2 ride), and while chatting, his wife drove by and also stopped to chat - with the family dog who is prone to car-sickness and was DROOLING all over the back seat of their gorgeous E-class Mercedes!! Fortunately, they had a doggy blanket down on the seat, but...blech. Doggy drool. Bunnies don't drool like that.
2. Nearly run off the road by a guy in an SUV who decided to pass me, just as an ambulance was going by (lights and siren going) in the other direction. Geez!
3. But, not all idiot drivers drive SUVs. I got buzzed by an old lady in a Honda Civic about a half mile later.
4. Had the unexpected joy of having Ross Ave in the park closed to traffic (MDHillSlug - that't the hill we did that right off Military, by the ranger station). Usually, it's open to traffic, but the gates were closed, so we got to bomb down it, not worrying about cars coming around the corners. Yeee-HA!!! But....at the bottom, right by Military Rd and the switchback, the road was covered in slush and ICE! Yikes. A sure party-killer.
5. Stopped in the LBS (required for any ride in the park ). A friend there had just gotten back from a trip west, as his FIL passed away. Got an earful of ranting about family issues. Ahhh, nothing like a funeral to bring out the luvin' in a family. Sigh.
6. Discovered my injury from the Great Treadmill Accident really does bother me on bike rides (commutes are too short to enflame it). I really need to work on my hammies, and will give my Chiro a call, first thing on Monday a.m.
32 miles....and if my hips and hamstrings (hammies) are okay...I may do all this again tomorrow. Cool.

[jobob]

melissam, dachsund and I had our first TNT Death Ride team ride with coach maillotpois. Since we had some clinics to start with, the ride itself was very short, just the Tiburon Loop starting from Mill Valley.

The group I rode with took a bit of a shortcut over a windey, nicely wooded backroad and we wound up with about 22 miles and a little under 1000 ft of climbing.

Afterwards we went out for Mexican food (and margaritas) with a bunch of our teammates. Go team indeed.

[Zen]

I lubed a chain
then drove into town for a fried oyster sandwich and a piece of coconut meringue pie as big as your face.

click it